[mc1r]

Is it track season yet?

As I wait for the lovely new wheels I’ve ordered (h/t @John4C) it’s made me contemplate other changes for the 2023 season. With the addition of the new wheels I’ll need a new set of tires, and I think I’m likely to go with the PS4S though I’m curious if anyone in warmer climes has tried out the newer 71RS on the 4c?

Beyond the wheels and tires I think I’ll have the shop install the GMS Uniballs for the rear. I can’t say I’ve been disappointed with the feel I get from the rear of the car, but I’m also just not that good of a driver. I’m not confident I have the butt dynamics needed to parse the difference, but I’m curious to see.

From there I think I’ll take a look at seat(s) (perhaps only driver side) and a harness. How do people decide on seats? I’m frankly a bit clueless and it seems like ideally I’d go sit in them before dropping a couple of grand on them. The Tillet’s at Alfa9 are very pretty. I don’t want to just have the car become pure track rat as I make the adjusts so having an Alfa logo and some diamond stitching would suit me fine. But there’s not exactly a showroom for them in Chicagoland as best I can tell. And with respect to adding a harness bar it doesn’t seem they have theirs in stock, is the Kensai bar actually the same? Any meaningful differences around these if I’m looking for something bolt in?

Have I missed anything that the track folks think should be considered as must haves, even for relative newbies on the track? Anything folks would steer me away from?

Thanks all!

 

[4Canada]

Big plans!

Do the rear uniballs - if you are going to push the car in corners on stickier rubber, you can thank me for this advice later. Especially if you strap yourself in with a harness and race seat. What you don’t necessarily feel the car doing now, will scare the crap out of you then.

 

[John4C]

Big plans!

Do the rear uniballs - if you are going to push the car in corners on stickier rubber, you can thank me for this advice later. Especially if you strap yourself in with a harness and race seat. What you don’t necessarily feel the car doing now, will scare the crap out of you then.

+1 on uniballs, especially if you’re running something like a RE71RS. As the tires get grippier, the problem becomes more noticeable.

 

[4Canada]

I have the Sector 111 (now Inokinetic) harness bar. Out of production but an email to Shinoo might encourage him to consider making some more. It has a brace to the floor whereas the Kensai one is just attached to the seat belt anchor points. That might well be quite sufficient (really, you’ll be adding this to be more connected to the car, and not be thrown around so much in corners and hard braking, not for life safety). I think that GMS was also developing a harness.

The floor mounts for harness lap belt are another challenge in the 4C. Again, Inokinetic has a solution. Mates with the actual harness that they sell. There are countless types and ends for harness. Your seat might allow a fifth securement point (anti-submarine strap), but investigate that first as it might not retrofit into the buckle you get on a 4-point harness.

 

[mc1r]

That’s great confirmation guys, thank you. John I know you have a harness in yours (or did in one of them?) and 4Canada I’m guessing you do as well. Any commentary on that? I realize I could get by without, but I do find myself developing a fair number of bruises due to trying to pin myself in, even after improving the seatbelt hold with a lock.

Is there something you’d invest in before going that route?

 

[John4C]

That’s great confirmation guys, thank you. John I know you have a harness in yours (or did in one of them?) and 4Canada I’m guessing you do as well. Any commentary on that? I realize I could get by without, but I do find myself developing a fair number of bruises due to trying to pin myself in, even after improving the seatbelt hold with a lock.

Is there something you’d invest in before going that route?

I’ve never actually had a harness. I’ve always made it work with CG-Lock (and some bruises). If I tracked more I would get a harness though. I don’t do it enough where it makes sense.

 

[mc1r]

You beat my reply out 4Canada

sounds like it’s worth doing some additional homework on figuring out the right set of bits to match the seat. Now that im thinking about it you turned me on to the CGLock John but I think I had just assumed you’d moved on from it. It’s a great bit of kit and definitely makes for a huge improvement.

 

[mc1r]

This is the one you have right 4Canada

4Corsa Harness Bar — InoKinetic

The Strongest Bolt-in Harnessbar For Your 4C ! The 4Corsa Harnessbar is the first bolt-in solution that allows you to fit a racing harness into your 4C. Harnesses help you feel at one with your steed! This is a properly engineered a safe & exceptionally strong

www.inokinetic.com

The copy makes it sound like it’s not street legal with the struts in place, is that right? And would it fit a stock seat in front of it if I didn’t replace both?

 

[GMS]

Not yet. It's early preseason. Time to scrap the autumn - winter savings for items we don't necessarily need to beat on the track the people we don't necessarily know. Along goes late night wrenching, masterminding new alignment setup, damping setup, looking for any potential weight savings on the car that hasn't been done yet and looking to replace wearable parts that might make you feel a bit insecure / hard to trust as they are starting to show some minor wear. And when it's about 14 days before the season starts - that would be late preseason, you then decide what you'll have to move into next years schedule and assemble the car back together to make it to the first event, which then it's a blast, but car is not as much faster compared to the previous year as you did expected it to be, so back to garage and more fine tuning until next event. And so goes on and on, until the end of the season when some proper lap times drop and then it's time again to put it into the workshop and you're back to the beginning but at slightly higher starting level this time. And so it goes, year by year. Boy I love the motorsport. It's beautiful isn't it? Effort, struggle, disappointments and then finally tears of joy then the genuine happiness with first winnings and new PR's. It's a bittersweet symphony and we wouldn't have want it any other way, would we?

I'm currently dialing out the steering parts. New control arms front and rear, new ARB's, new ARB links which I finally decided to mount on my own car as I've been running prototypes ever since we started these projects, she deserves it. Then there is minor coilovers rebuild, new brake pads, bolt torquing, updated wing brackets and end plates, carbon CAI and and carbon timing belt cover to replace prototype parts and non resonated dual center out rear exhaust section to drop another 2.6kg from previous resonated version at the cost of slightly louder exhaust. Then we move on to next area - sitting and harness, a tough job, but we're getting close. And then the carbon QV front hood and few other minor things. And that should be it until the season arrives.

Live update: Sunday 21/01/2023 22:34 CET +1

 

[mc1r]

Whoa, amazing

 

[borca]

I'm getting itchy myself. Winter blues. We hung this up today, courtesy of our dear friend Ahir, of @maranello_design out of Miami. A class act. Check his stuff out! Anyways, I thought my Alfisti would enjoy, and this isn't worth its own post.

 

[mc1r]

Beautiful stuff, probably couldn’t get it past the wife test unfortunately

 

[4Canada]

This is the one you have right 4Canada

4Corsa Harness Bar — InoKinetic

The Strongest Bolt-in Harnessbar For Your 4C ! The 4Corsa Harnessbar is the first bolt-in solution that allows you to fit a racing harness into your 4C. Harnesses help you feel at one with your steed! This is a properly engineered a safe & exceptionally strong

www.inokinetic.com

The copy makes it sound like it’s not street legal with the struts in place, is that right? And would it fit a stock seat in front of it if I didn’t replace both?

It is the one I have.
I don’t see the text you are referring to, but if it is not “street legal” that is likely only in as much as his lawyers don’t want you to delete the stock seatbelt in favour of this alone. The struts make entry just slightly harder, but not by much. I have the stock (cloth, but same structure as leather ones) seats in my track car. No adjustment required.

Their BLB mount lets you affix the lap belts to the tub easily and reversibly (and no drilling). And their harness is meant to be compatible with those (and any bar). NOTE to insist on harness with the lap belt adjustments at the buckle. The alternative (at the mount points) is much more difficult to use, if you have others driving your car (instructors) or if you mount a harness in the passenger seat. Note that some HPDE groups require the same treatment to both front seats. Do your homework.

CG-Lok is a great tool, but out of production for years. I have one from my pre-harness days. Works. But not as well as a proper harness.

 

[mc1r]

You run a 4 point setup with the stock seats? No problems with the shoulder belts?

 

[Max Tayant]

I have the Sector 111 (now Inokinetic) harness bar. Out of production but an email to Shinoo might encourage him to consider making some more. It has a brace to the floor whereas the Kensai one is just attached to the seat belt anchor points. That might well be quite sufficient (really, you’ll be adding this to be more connected to the car, and not be thrown around so much in corners and hard braking, not for life safety). I think that GMS was also developing a harness.

The floor mounts for harness lap belt are another challenge in the 4C. Again, Inokinetic has a solution. Mates with the actual harness that they sell. There are countless types and ends for harness. Your seat might allow a fifth securement point (anti-submarine strap), but investigate that first as it might not retrofit into the buckle you get on a 4-point harness.

I’ll be selling my uniballed a arms, coilovers, tillet seat, inokinetic and Kansai harness bars, harness floor kit, schroth harnesses and much more in the near future

 

[mc1r]

Getting out of your 4c?

 

[4Canada]

You run a 4 point setup with the stock seats? No problems with the shoulder belts?

Would be better to have seats with holes in the back to run the shoulder belts through, but I’ve never had any issues.

 

[Jwdm]

It is track season now. Maybe I will go out tomorrow.


Jeff

 

[Max Tayant]

Getting out of your 4c?

yes, gave me tons of fun on and off track but time to move on. Just bought a Viper GTS (2nd Gen) and looking for a Radical SR3 as soon as I sell the 4C

 

[Alfanut]

yes, gave me tons of fun on and off track but time to move on. Just bought a Viper GTS (2nd Gen) and looking for a Radical SR3 as soon as I sell the 4C

I can only see one mistake with all of that😁.